The best toys from the '90s

There are a few toys, that upon remembering them, instantly transport me back to the simpler times of my childhood. Before we had favourite supermarkets and hobs on the stove, there was a time when all that occupied my tiny little mind was where to locate my favourite Bratz doll. Youths! So take a trip down memory lane with some of these quintessential children’s toys…

Tamagotchi 

There are few childhood icons quite like the Tamagotchi. I’m not sure if I wanted one for the entertainment value, or because every other girl at my school had one and I didn’t want to be left out, but whatever the reason Tamagotchi was my first real commitment. It taught me how quickly my virtual pets will die if I forgot to feed or water them. 

Tekno Dog 

What was 90s toy obsession with pets? Was this some sort of feeble attempt to subdue our desire for living-breathing animals? There were a few varieties of the Tekno Dog, but whatever option you went for, I believe this toy was pivotal... and dare I say... life-changing? Was this the beginning of artificial intelligence? This dog burst onto the market with promises of over 160 emotions and tricks, which is about twice as many as me. I would stop at nothing to become a Tekno Dog owner. I can’t really remember whether the Tekno dog was all it was cracked up to be, all bark and no bite perhaps? But I remember being sent into a canine-vision-tunnelled period of rage when my parents tried to deny me ownership. 

This toy, like many others, probably kept me entertained for a whole 15 minutes before it found a permanent home at the bottom of my wardrobe. Mainly because I was a spoilt brat, it really is a dog-eat-dog world. 

Barbie Styling Stable and Baby Horse 

I was obsessed with horses so I don’t know if I was the only one who had this. Equipped with a mirror, which in hindsight, is difficult to understand. I mean I know the stable came with hair styling paraphonalia, but do you seriously expect me to belive the horses are styling their hair without supervision? Whatever, this toy was the bees knees. 

Furbies

Mum, it’s time to start cracking open the discarded boxes of my past, OG Furbies are selling for a small fortune! These little guys were hard not to love, and they captured the hearts and minds of children across the globe with that creepy/cute owl appeal. 

Bratz 

As previously mentioned, I was a brat, so it’s no surprise I loved these dolls. The ones that came in the McDonald’s happy meals were the best - I wasn’t fooling around with no Hot Wheels. 

Skip-it

I have sore shins at the mere sight of this. The skip-it was intended to be a simple bit of fun, wrap it around your ankle, jump until your heart is content while the ball counts your hops. That’s all well and good until you misjudged a hop, this contraption has been mass bruising shins since the ‘90s!